Tractor.



J. B. HILL.

TRACTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

r O t n C V n Witnesses Attorneys J. B. HILL.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914 3 SHEE'I'B-BHBET 2.

Inventor Attorneys J. B. HILL.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914.

s snnmssnnn'r 3.

r I Attorneys Inventor UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. HILL, or RACELAND, LOUISIANA.

TRACTOR.

To all 107mm. 1' 16 may concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES B. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raceland, in the parish of La Fourche and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Tractor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tractors particularly designed for use in tilling soft soil such as reclaimed marsh lands. Machines for this purpose must be comparatively light and must present broad bearing surfaces to the ground or they will otherwise sink into the soil to undesirable depths and thus be rendered practically useless.

One of the. objects of the present invention is to provide a machine of this character utilizing a broad apron in lieu of the ordinary drive wheels, said apron being so proportioned as to bear downwardly upon an extensive surface.

Another object is to so connect the apron to the main structure of the machine as to permit it to oscillate readily-about a transverse axis and thus pass freely over an uneven surface.

Another object is to provide a drive apron the lower flight of which is curved longitudinally so as to facilitate the turning of the machine.

Another object .is to provide improved mechanism whereby motion is transmitted from the motor to the propelling apron.

Another object is to provide novel means for connecting a'ga-ng of plows to the tractor, mechanism being provided wvhereby said gang can be readily shifted into or out of engagement with the soil.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein. disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :F igure 1 is a side elevation of the tractor and showing a gang of plows connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shownin Fig. 1. F ig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of that side Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 25, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914..

Serial No. 711.509.

of the tractor opposite .to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the tractor. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apron propelling mechanism. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section through a portion of the apron and its runners. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the apron. Fig. 8 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, of one of the runners, the axle bearing being removed. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the axle bearing. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the axle. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the saddles used in connection with the axle. Fig. 12' is a section through a portion of one of the runners and showing the position of the machine, the same being formed of channel or I beams suitably connected. An

.opening 2 is formed in the front portion of the platform 3 which is carried by'the frame 1 and erected on this platform and extending over the opening are upwardly converging supports 4 preferably arranged in front and rear pairs and provided with suitable braces, as at 5. These supports are connected to 'a cap 6 into which projects a pivot bolt 7 extending upwardly from .a cross head 8 which is mounted, at its ends, upon upwardly converging standardsd) which are secured to the sides of a frame 10 located below the opening 2. Bearings 11 are carried by the sides of the frame 10 and receive the axle 12 of the front or steering roller 13. A ring 14 is secured to and extends around the frame 10 and. this ring is engaged by. anti-friction wheels 15 journaled at suitable points in brackets 16 secured-to the walls of the opening 2 and thus serve to prevent the frame 1 from tilting relative to the frame 10.

A transverse shaft 17 is journaled under the frame 1 and back of the roller 13, this shaft being provided with a drum 18 to which are secured the ends of a chain 19. Said chain is guided partly around guide sheaves 20 supported under the frame 1 and chainmay be secured, at an intermediate point, to the ring 14 so that, when the drum 18 is rotated in one direction, one end portion of the chain 19 will be wound thereon 2 4. This shaft projects upwardly above the platform 3 and is provided, at its upper end, with a hand wheel or the like whereby the shaft can be turned readily.

Secured to' and extendingtransversely of the frame 1 are parallel channel beams 26 having their flanges extended toward each other. Connecting the bottom flanges of these beams is a saddle plate 27 having depending end flanges 28. Similar plates 29 are secured to the outer faces of the beams 26 and have terminal flanges 3O outstanding therefrom.' These plates 27 and 29 are v adapted to bear upon thewalls of circular openings 31 formed between castings 32 or the like which are secured to parallel upstanding strips 33 and? to a cross strip 34.

The upstanding,strips 32 are securdd. at

their lower ends to the lower curved beams 35 while the upper ends of said strips are secured to straight upper beams 36. These upper and lower beams are connected at one end, by an arcuate beam 37 and the other ends of the beams 35 and 36 are connected by an end strip 38. These beams 35, 36 and 37 and the end strip 38 form runners and the upstanding strips 32 and their connec- 'tions 34 are preferably located adjacent the centers of the runners. Crossed braces 39 may be interposed between the beams 35 and 36 for the purpose of reinforcing the runners and the two runners, which are located adjacent the respective sides of the frame 1, may be connected by cross beams 40 whereby said runners will move as one body about the longitudinal axis of the axle made up of beams-26. The flanges 28 and 30 lap the upstanding strips 32 and the cross strip 34 and thus. prevent lateral dis placement of the runners relative .to the frame 1.

The lower or' acti e faces of the runners are provided, along their centers, with out? standing flanges 41, theseflanges entering between rollers 42 which are mounted on actuated. In other words, these tread strips l pins 43 which serve to pivotally connect the links 44 of oppositely disposed similar chains, longitudinal displacement of the ins relative to the links being prevented y cars 45 which are struck from certain of the links and lap the ends of the pins. The corresponding links of the two chains are disposed directly opposite each other and mounted on the pins 43 are brackets 46 secured to tread strips 46 which are adapted to be brought successively into contact with the ground when the endless chains are 46 and the endlesschains constitute an apron designed to propel the machine forward, the anti-friction rollers 42 which move with the apron, being adapted to travel along the outer or active faces of the beams 35, 36 and 37.

A shaft 47 is journaled in bearings upon the end strip 38 and secured to this shaft, between its ends and in the same vertical planes with theflanges 41, are actuating wheels or sprockets 48 designed to engage the rollers 42, there being longitudinal webs 49 between the-teeth of the sprockets for projecting into the spaces between the rollers. Additional sprockets 52 are secured to the end portions of the shaft 47 and receive motion, through chains 53, from small sprockets 54 which are secured to a shaft 55. This shaft extends transversely of and is journaled on the frame 1 and is provided, atone end, with a large sprocket 56 adapted to receive motion, through a chain 57, from a small sprocket 58 secured to a counter shaft 59 journaled on and extending transversely of the frame 1. A large gear 60 is secured to the shaft 59 and a large sprocket 61 isalso secured to said shaft.

A motor 62 is mounted on suitable supports 63 carried by ""the frame 1 and the shaft 64 of the motor has a sprocket 65 which transmits motion, through a chain 66, to a sprocket 67 keyed or otherwise secured to a transverse shaft 68 on theframe 1. A clutch member 69 is loose on the shaft 68 and has a sprocket 70 secured thereto and engaged by a chain 71 extending from the sprocket 61. Another clutch member 72 is feathered on the shaft 68 and has a gear 73 secured thereto and'which is normally out of.

mesh with the gear 60. By shifting the gear: 73 away from gear 60, the clutch 72 can be brought into engagement with the clutch member 69 so as thus to couple the sprocket 70 to shaft 68. Thus motion will be transmitted from motor 62 to the sprocket 61 and the shaft 47 will be caused to rotate in one direction so as to drive the machine forward, as will be described hereinafter. By shifting the gear 73 in theo-pposite direction, the clutch member 72 will be moved out of engagement with clutch member 69, thereby uncoupling the sprocket 70 from shaft 68. Further movement of the clutch member 72 will bring the gear 73 into mesh with gear 60 and, therefore, motion will be transmitted from the motor 62 to gear 60 and the. shaft 47 will be rotated in the opposite direction so as to drive the machine rearwardly. The wheel 74 of a band brake may be secured to the shaft 68, as shown, thus permitting the operation of the machine to be controlled readily.

Under normal conditions, and with the clutch member 72 in the position shown in Fig. 4, the shaft 68 can rotate freely withbeams 35.

out causing movement of the machine. \Vhcn. however, the clutch member 72 1S shifted into engagement with the clutch member (19, the shaft 47 will be rotated so as to cause the sprockets 48 to push the runners forward so that they will travel along the anti-friction rollers .42 carried by the lower flight of the endless apron. As the result of this action, the tread strips or blocks 46 will be brought successively into position under the lower beams 35 of the runners and will come ultimately into contact with the ground. As these strips or blocks extend practically throughout the width of the machine 'it will be seen that an extensive bearing surface is presented to. the ground by them and it becomes possible, therefore, for the machine. to travel over. soft soil such as reclailned'marsh lands with out sinking thereinto to an objectionable extent. By changing the sprockets 56 and 58, the speed of the machine can be varied at will.

It will be noted that the lower flight of the endless apron travels along curved As a resultthe-apron does not present a perfectly flat surface. to the soil but presents a curved surface. .This is important because it enables the machine to be more readil turned than where a plain surf ace is formed by the lower flight of the apron. As the runners can rock freely above the longitudinal axis of the-transverse axle formed of the channel beams .26,

it will be seen that the apron canpass freely ovcr obstructions in the path thereof.

The tractor herein described is designed for \zlllolls purposes among which may be mentioned the leveling of the tops of levees, and in the cultivation of reclaimed marsh land, the machine being used in the mannerlast stated. by drawing gangs of plows, or other soil. engaging devices.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a gang of plows has been -how'n combined with the tractor. By referring to these figures it- ,will be noted that side strips are pivotally connected, as t 76, to hangers 77 depending from the sides of frame 1. these strips being connected, at their rear ends, by diagonally disposed beams T8 suitably connected by means of top plates- 79. Beam sections 80 are bolted or otherwise secured to the bottoms of the beams TS and hingedly connected to the rear projecting ends of these beam sections S0 are the beams 81 of plows 82. Revers 83 are pivotally connected to the beam sections 80 and are connected, by links 9 to the rear portions of the beams 81. Pivotcd rack bars 85 are provided for the respective levcrs S3 and these bars are adaptcd to be engaged by spring pressed pawls $6 citrried ov the levers. Thus it will be seen that the plow beams can be secured in any desired positions after being adjusted angularly about their connections with the sections 80. Snap pins 87 are, preferably provided for connecting the liuks84 to the beam section 80 to which it is'attached and without requiring corresponding movement of the lever 83. Snapping pins may also be used at any suitable points in the driv: ing mechanism-of the ma hine so that inadvert-ent stopping of the machine for any purpose will not result in damage to any of the parts thereof. a

For the purpose of lifting the gang of plows out of engagement with the 'soil, a shaft 88 is extended transversely of the rear end of frame 1 and has-chains 89securedthereto and extending downward to the side strips 75. adapted to be wound on the shaft 88, there being a worm wheel 90 on one end of the shaft and which is engaged by-a worm 91 secured to one end portioil of an actuating shaft 92. This shaft extends forwardly to a point-where it can be conveniently reached by the operator and is provided'with a hand wheel 93 or. the like whereby it can be easily turned. 'Thus it will be seen, that by rotating shaft 88 in one direction, the chain 89 will be wound thereon and the frame of the gang of plows'swung upwardly about the pivots 76. By paying out the chain the plows of the gang of plows can be lowered to extend any desired depth into the soil.

hat is claimed is 1. In a tractor the combination with a frame, and a transverse axle, of connected runners mounted to oscillate upon the axle, a shaft journaled upon and extending transversely-of the runners, an endless apron extending around the runners and including hingedly connected tread strips, spaced rollcrs movable with the apron, and sprockets upon the transverse shaft and engaging the rollers. there being webs upon' the sprockets and adapted tobe seated within the spaces between the rollers.

2. In a tractor, the combination with a main frame, of an axle including.transversely extending oppositely disposed channel beams, flanged bearing strips secured to the beams, the flanges at the ends of said strips outstanding, connected runners having openings therein for the reception of the axle, said end flanges constituting means for preventing lateral displacement of the runners relative to the axle, an endless apron mounted upon the runners, and means for actuating the apron. 1 i

3. In a tractor, a runner havingadepending longitudinal flange along the center of the bottom thereof, an endless apron extending around the runner and including These chains 89 are' lit] hingedly connected tread strips, a pair of spaced rollers extending between every two adjoining tread strips and movable with the apron, said rollers being movable along the runner and said flange being extended between the rollers, and sprockets supported in line with the runner for engaging the rollers to actuate the apron.

4. In a tractor, the combination with a frame and a transverse axle, of connectedrunners mounted for oscillation upon the respective end portions of the axle, there being a central longitudinal flange depending from each runner, parallel tread strips extending under the two runners and hingedly connected to form an endless apron, pairs of spaced rollers interposed between every two tread strips, one pair of rollers being disposed below each runner, the flange being extended between the rollers of each pair, and sprocket-s alined with the runners and engaging the rollers to ac" tuate the apron.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES B. HILL.

Witnesses:

SIMON KAHN', F. THIBoREUx.

v 0 Copies of this patent may be obtained for live centseaoh, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 6. 

